Illegal crossings of southern border surge in August

The Trump Administration reported new figures Wednesday which showed a new surge in the number of illegal immigrants detained by U.S. border authorities, highlighted by a sharp increase in the number of families trying to illegally enter the United States.

Figures released by the Customs and Border Patrol agency showed 46,560 people were apprehended in August – up 17 percent from July, and up more than 50 percent from August of 2017.

The number of families stopped at the border was almost 16,000 – and according to federal officials – that was one of the highest figures ever recorded.

Initially, border crossings dropped dramatically during the first months of the Trump Administration last year – something the President proudly noted – as apprehension figures dropped to less than 16,000 in April of 2017. But by May of 2018, the numbers were back up, hitting a high of 51,780, before dropping back in recent months.

Before President Trump took office, the numbers had been as high as 66,708 in October of 2016.

“In August a total of 37,544 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on our Southwest Border,” the Border Patrol reported – about one third of those were families, while over 4,000 were ‘unaccompanied children.’

Over 9,000 other people were stopped at official points of entry into the U.S. in August, up slightly from July and June. Over one-third of those were families as well.

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